VTM: Bloodlines Sabbat Styled
by marionette-E
Summary: Ever wondered what would the game be if you were part of the Sabbat? Here’s a walkthrough for the game where you are a sireless fledgling, desperate for survival in the Sabbat.
1. Sovelhead Glory

**Note:** There are so little Sabbat fics in here and most of them are one shots, so I decided to create my own. It's your normal walkthrough trough Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, but almost. It's Sabbat styled, like what would the game be if you were actually a sireless fledgling in the Sabbat, struggling for survival.

It keeps most of the original characters, though not in the same light you see them when from the Camarilla, and adds a few new. Again, I don't own anything but a few OCs.

***

I was angry. No, wait, not angry. I was furious! Rabid dog on crack furious! For my pitiful twenty years of life I took care of that old hag all the time, ignoring my personal needs, social life and preferences. She was always sick, always mad at me and always a fucking pain in the ass. After finding me in a pile of junk as a baby, she decided I owed her my life and I had to do everything for her. And I did. I found a job, did all the errands, paid the rent, bought her pills, fed her cat, beat up the neighbors… And after 24 years of this, the witch finally died. So there I was, finally able to spend the night out in town! I put on nice clothes, did my hair, put on make up, threw the damned cat out of the window, put on my new stilettos and went out. And what; Not a second after I came out of the building, some damned asshole hit me with a freaking shovel on the head and knocked me unconscious. Next thing I know, I'm buried in a fucking grave. So I did what any normal person buried alive in a grave does: dig out.

Then some people, waiting for me outside the grave, sent me to fight some other people that I didn't even know. They had pistols, sledgehammers, swords and shotguns, and what did I get? A freaking shovel!

So I go there, and from the beginning to the ending I didn't understand what the hell was all this about and why was I involved. In the end, "my people" picked me up, in some century old truck, and, again, hit me with a shovel. When I woke up, the scenery surrounding me resembled some low-budget horror movie. People, whom I have never seen in my life, were there also, discussing me! In front of me! They called me shovelhead, then talked about some prince, then something like Cumarila.

So now they told me that I had to meet some other guy. By what I understood it was pretty much the "boss" here, though they used other words, which I can't remember (probably because of all the beatings on the head).

Now, I have seen some pretty ugly people in my life. I grew up with fucking Baba Yaga. But I would never have expected what would enter the room. He was not only ugly- he was alien-like. His skin was blue-greenish, looking scaly and rough. Above his face was formed something that I can only describe as a crown made of skin and bones. His own skin and bones!

Then I met his eyes. I remember feeling dizzy just by looking at them. They were cat-like, in red and orange. It was not the way they looked that startled me however. They had this strange feeling to them, it was like I could feel them under my skin literally and crawling in there. I felt shivers. I felt cold. I think I saw hell in them.

- Hello young Cainite, - He greeted with an obvious eastern European accent. – I came to congratulate you on surviving a task most find impossible. It's a rare sight for a fledgling created during a Mass Embrace to survive the night.

He lost me on "Cainite" and I think I stopped listening then. Besides, his face was more interesting than what he spoke, and while he threw his words on the air, I curiously explored his every bone and skin modifications. At that point I was pretty sure this was all a dream and I was about to wake up any moment.

Well, 5 minuets after, I was still "dreaming".

- I see confusion in you eyes. – The guy kept talking.

Oh, confusion? Well, no shit; in one night I was beaten over the head two times, fought some people who seemed to want me dead for some unexplained reason, and woke up only to have the Predator explain to me some things that made me even more confused.

I nodded my head.

- You are a vampire, fledgling. And you are in servitude to the greatest warriors of Caine- the Sabbat. – I didn't know to cry or to laugh when he said that. And Sabbat… wasn't that a cult of witches or something?

- V-vampire…? - I finally spoke since all of this began.

- Yes. A predator more great than any creature, be it animal or human. Do not fear your nature, childe. Embrace it and dwell in your new existence… - The guy paused for a little and then looked me straight in the eyes. – However, considering the way you were Embraced, you still need to prove your worth to the Sabbat, before you can receive your Creation Rites and be a true member of the sect.

Sect? So all this was just a wannabe vampire sect?

- You will be sent to Santa Monica where you will receive a chance to prove yourself. When you're there, and let that be soon, seek a man named Mercurio, he shall tell you what to do…Now, please, excuse me, but I must leave you. Good evening, vampire. – And with that, he left.

I stood there, stunned and unable to talk for what seemed like ages. Since I never really had went out at night, I began to wonder was it normal to get beaten over the head and wake up as a member of a vampire wannabe sect, when going out. Probably not.

I turned around to look at the people around. No one was really paying attention to me anymore, like this was something normal to them. After shock came realization and then came anger. So, at this point I got pissed. All I wanted was a lame night out in the clubs and what did I get?

- CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE? – I couldn't contain my nerves anymore and shouted out, making everybody turn their heads at me. And then… nothing happened. I just heard a light chuckle coming from somewhere, but other than that, they kept on with their business, talking or polishing their weapons.

I sighed. For the first time of my life I wanted to go home. Or better yet, wake up there.

- Hey, bitch… - I heard a male voice coming from behind me.

I turned to face a rather… pale guy. He pretty much reminded me of an albino, since he had all the features: short white hair, hiding pierced ears, grayish eyes with a dead stare in them, and of course, pale skin, almost white. The man was reasonably attractive, baring his well formed muscles while going around shirtless, wearing only black jeans, tucked in some huge boots.

- What's your problem? – He threw me a death stare and made me shiver slightly.

- M-my problem? – I creaked, feeling intimidated by the man before me.

- Yeah, your problem… - He repeated. – Why you shouting like that? Want a juice bag or something? – I raised my eyebrows to express how confused I was at that point. He probably noticed, judging on his sudden laugh. – Oh, wait; you're the new one, right? The shovelhead, right? Oh, damn, I'm thinking you some Malk who forgot who she is, heh. – The guy then stopped and looked at me, with an amused grin on his face. – Alright, here's where I save your unlife…

So the guy explained what was going on. He told me about the Sabbat, how they, or should I say _we_, think of ourselves as the only true "heirs" to Caine, who is believed to be the first vampire. And from what I understood, the sect holds a "war" against some Antediluvians, who use their lesser (meaning us) to bring the end of the world, or as he said it, Gehenna. He told me how we vampires differ from clans, bloodlines and other stuff like that, how we avoid to be exposed to humans, because they can kills us and so on and so on.

- Soo, is every vampire is part of the…Sabbat? – I asked, still hoping this was one big joke, but realizing it most probably was not.

- Pft, hell no. – The guy waved his hand, like he was chasing away some bug in front of him. – There are the Inconnu, which I doubt you'll run in to these nights, cause they're like, I dunno, six of 'em. And they don't take much part in Jyhad anyway. Just some old geezers, nothing a fledgling like you should worry about. – His face suddenly changed into a serious grimace, expressing hatred and contempt. – And the Camarilla…Now those are the guys you should really hate. And I mean hate, not just dislike…

- The Camarilla? – I blinked in confusion.

- Yeah, the Camarilla… - He repeated me, again. – They think of themselves as being the "better of two evils", so to speak. Playing the role of the good guys in all of this. They are fooling themselves. Exactly those hopeless idiots are gonna bring the end of the world at our door, only because of their ignorance and haughtiness. They refuse to acknowledge Gehenna and everything that comes with it, not for a second realizing that they are the Ancients' puppets and, when times comes, will be consumed along with all of us.

- Oh, uh, that sucks…- I found myself speechless, seeing how much this guy believed in what he said.

- Yeah… - He pondered over something for a while, then again turned his attention to me. – So, I suggest you get going, you better arrive at Santa Monica before the sun's up…

- Yeah, I guess, I should… - I looked at my broken watch, which was showing 2am. – Wait, before I go, I have this last question…

- What? – He asked a little impatient, like he wasn't the one that offered me help.

- You… you mentioned clans earlier… - I began a little uncertain should I continue with my question. – Do I have a clan?

He cackled again.

- Yeah, Lick, you're no Pander, chill. – He probably found my question very amusing; by the way he was laughing. – I knew your Sire, he was one ambitious little maniac. Too bad he died the same night he sired you, he wasn't all that bad. – The guy didn't seem a bit concerned or empathic. – Yeah, you're a Lasombra, Lick.

- Lasombra? – I had to admit, it had a nice beat to it.

- Yeah. – He was again grinning at me. – You get to have control over shadows and stuff, to be extra powerful and subject people to your will. Not bad, eh? – I nodded my head. – But your weakness… man, that's the stuff that'll kill ya…

- What? What's my weakness? – I didn't like a bit where all this was going.

- Well… you're one of the lucky ones that can't see your image ever again. Ever. – His complacent smile told me how happy he was with my shocked expression.

***

I arrived at Santa Monica somewhere around 3am. It was raining and the streets were pretty empty. I had never been to Santa Monica, so I didn't have an idea where to go or where to find that guy, Mercurio. I still couldn't fully understand what had I become, but I decided not to take a chance and wait for the sun to come up. Looking around, I didn't find anything suitable enough for a vampire to sleep in, but I decided to take a look at some Diner that was on my left.

It was a typical diner – small, not well kept, thugs with their prostitutes eating and laughing loudly. The smell of rat droppings hit me from the door, but I continued my way to the cashier. She was an old woman, wearing way too prominent makeup and what appeared to be a blue peignoir.

- What'll it be, honey? – She greeted with an obvious annoyance in her tone.

- Do you know any hotels around or somewhere I can stay? – I asked calmly, ignoring her attitude.

- Nope, sorry, honey, can't help ya. – She automatically shot out, not even looking at me. – Now you gonna order something or what?

I felt a little offended and was about to leave when I noticed the door behind the cashier.

- What's in the back? – I pointed at the door.

- It' a store. Wow. How exciting. – Her sarcasm was playing with my nerves, but I continued to ignore her. A store would make a nice place for me to sleep.

- Let me in. – I said.

- What? Pft, you on drugs or something? Seeing how you won't order anything, how about you leave, huh? – I was getting pretty angry with her.

- I said… - I decided to try the mind-controlling power that guy told me I had. – .In. – I said in a cold voice, while not breaking eye contact with her. At least that was how they did it in the movies.

She stood paralyzed for a while, but after some time, handed me a key. I took it and headed for the door. It was really a normal storage – boxes, shelves, jars and rats. I sighed at the sight of the last one, but it was the best I could get for tonight. The important thing was that there were no windows. I sat at the outermost corner from the door and closed my eyes.

I was still hoping that I will wake up in my old apartment.


	2. Meeting Fans

For the first time in my life (or should I say, unlife), I didn't dream. It was like a minuet after my eyes closed, the day passed and night was in. So waking up was rather unexpected and unpleasant, especially after noticing that a rat was chewing on my hoodie. I swung my hand at it, avoiding real physical contact, since I was pretty much sickened. It ran away, hiding behind the shelves and jars.

It took me a minuet to adjust to reality again. The events that had occurred last night were like taken out of a bad gang movie in which I was playing the main role. Vampires, sects, end of the world. The information was way too much and I still couldn't realize what had I gotten myself into.

The diner was half empty when I went out. A few quizzical stares turned at me, but I did my best at avoiding eye contact. The cashier was the same from last night, but for some reason, she didn't notice me at all. I wondered for a while should I keep the key in case I don't find a place to stay for the day and eventually decided to keep it.

As I was walking on Santa Monica's streets, I made a revision of my task – I had to find a guy named Mercurio and let him explain to me what to do and do it in order to get my "Creation Rites". And running away was not an option. I still couldn't understand what those Creation Rites were, but they were probably something important since everyone was so fussed up about them.

So, the task seemed easy enough except for the part that I had to find the guy. How was I supposed to do that, I had no idea. Maybe walk up to random people and ask them do they know a guy named Mercurio? It sounded absurd, but it was probably my only option.

Maybe I was gonna do exactly that, if I didn't stumble on a large puddle of blood next to an expensive looking car. There were blood tracks leading to some fancy building not too far from me. Maybe out of some sixth sense, or just twisted curiosity, I followed them and entered the building. The traces were still fresh and led me to a half open door. What I witnessed was a mug-looking man, with red hair and blood all over. He was lying on a large couch, while whining and moaning like a wounded cur.

He swore for a while, talked about some guys beating him up. Eventually he introduced himself: Mercurio, thank god.

- Why did they beat you up again? – I felt a little superior while witnessing someone more desperate and pathetic than me.

- Those cocksuckers tricked me… I show up with their damn money and what? They beat me up. Any normal human would have died in my place… The blood is the only thing keeping me alive…aw. – Mercurio yelped in pain.

- You mean you're a vampire? – I got a little confused when he mentioned not being a normal human.

- You haven't been doing this for a long time, have you? – He grunted. – Every month or so I get vamp blood. It doesn't make me a vampire, but I age slower, heal faster and that kind of stuff. I'm actually sixty years old.

- So, uh, what am I suppose to do now… I mean… - I didn't ask about anything else, seeing how that would get me even more confused.

- You gotta…you gotta get that astrolite and beat those sons of…arghh. Is that a bottle back there? Oh my god, I can't feel my leg… - He continued to whine, like he wasn't the only one in an uncomfortable position.

- Listen, can you get to the point before you die? I know it hurts and all, but you are the one that messed up and I am the one that's gonna clean up after you! – All the frustration from last night finally came out.

- Alright, alright, geeze. They reside in some house, up on the beach. Small time criminals. You gotta get an astrolite from them… Steal it, buy it, kill them, do whatever you want, just get it, ok? Also, get my money back, I can use it to buy myself some new kidneys… - He could barely talk.

- Ugh, great. – I whispered under my nose. – Fine, I'm going. Try not to die until I'm back. – I headed for the door and suddenly heard him yell.

- Hey, look, you can't tell anyone about this, okay? They'll kill me if they learn that I screwed up. If you keep this a secret I promise to set you up. I've got a lot of connections, I can get you any weapon you want, 'k? Just don't tell anybody…- He begged which made my self-esteem push up.

- Fine. I'll keep that in mind. – I growled and headed to the exit.

***

Luckily, Santa Monica was full of signs which led me to the beach. There, I stumbled across some strange looking types. One of them, a black haired woman with an exotic look, approached me and said something about stairs and gates.

- What? – I asked confused.

- Those men you're looking for. – Her hazel eyes confidently gazed into mine.

- How did you… - I stopped myself from asking, seeing how doing that only got me more and more mixed-up. – Yeah, thanks.

Heading for the gate which she pointed to, a shirtless guy with and Australian accent stopped me, with an angry glare on his face.

- Listen, we know we can't hunt around here, just leave us alone, k? We are just minding our own business, don't plan to meddle with you types, so can't we have a break for a while?

- Uhhhh, what? – I blinked in confusion. Seemed like everybody had a story to tell and for some reason they all told it to me.

- You ain't here to run us off? – The guy seemed as much as confused as me.

- Ugh, I guess not… You beat up a guy named Mercurio?

- No. We don't fight the weaker ones, unlike you types. – He crossed his arms and threw me a death glare.

- So, no, I am not… Do people tend to do that? – I ignored his reaction, hoping he would shine me up a little.

- We're getting pretty sick of it… Seems we are some kind of sign for the end of the world and pretty much everybody we've met wants us dead or, at the least, out of their city. – The guy lowered his guard, tough he still seemed a bit upset.

- You guys? So you're a crew or something? – I asked again.

- Well, most of us recently arrived at LA. Those guys there… - He pointed at two other men and the girl that told me the way. – They got chased out of their home cities by the Sabbat or something like that. Myself, I reside here for the last six months now. Seem like years. – The mention of the Sabbat got me more curious.

- Sabbat, huh? What do you know about the Sabbat? Cause they seem to be on to me too. – I lied, trying not to raise suspicion for now. Those guys probably weren't fans.

- Well, not much. They pretty much like to hunt us for sport. Pretty brutal, most of them. One of them actually drained some guy like us. But you should ask Julius, he had more encounters with 'em than me. Watch your back. – He explained, a little glimpse of fear caught in his eyes.

***

The beach house was small and pretty isolated. Now that I was there, I didn't now how to proceed with the mission. All my self-confidence had disappeared and I felt as helpless as before. I still hadn't tried my new "vampiric" abilities and wasn't sure could I take them. How many were they anyway? For what I knew, they could be 3, they could be 20. And they seemed to have smashed up Mercurio pretty badly.

Deciding I was in for good, I told my feet to move, even though my mind was yelling at me to run away. A muscled man stood in front of the house, smoking a cigar and looking angrily around.

- Help ya? – He asked while blowing his smoke in my face.

- Yeah, I need to go inside. – I tried to stop my voice from shaking.

- Oh, really? The man didn't tell me to except anyone like you tonight. – He lowered his arms to his pocket, from where I could see a gun pointing.

I collected my last strength and confidence and tried to get my lies into action.

- Look, I am here to offer something the man won't get a second chance at getting, ok? And I promise you he will be really pissed if he finds out that his chances were blown off out of your arrogance, understand? – The words spilled out of my mouth like poison daggers, stabbing at the man's mind. He stood quiet for a while, looking at me up and down, but finally gave up.

- Fine, you go in. But if you really want to make my night, go and start something in there, ok? – He moved away and I took the liberty to enter the house.

If my heart still could do that, it would probably be pounding so hard it would jump out of my chest. While walking around the rooms, I couldn't believe I had the guts to lie to that guy and even make him believe me. It came into mind that I could have easily just used my mind controlling abilities on him, but in some way I felt a little short on blood. Then I realized that from the start I haven't actually drunk anyone's blood and remembered how the albino, back at the Sabbat's residence, warned me about a beast of some sort.

I didn't have much time to ponder over it, since I arrived at the room I needed. There, two thugs, one of them supposedly being the boss here, were throwing me death glares while looking at me up and down in a suspicious manner.

- Before we begin business I just want to make this clear… - The "boss" started to talk. – One day ago I put a bullet in a bitch that tried to fuck with me. If you ain't straight with me, I'll blow your head of, understand? Don't think for a minuet that because you're some hoe I won't have the guts to kill ya, k? – His words got me a little pissed and I felt something deep inside of me arise, but I quickly numbed it and nodded my head. – Good. Now tell me what can I do for you?

- I'm looking for something specific… An astrolite. – I stated, while trying to remain calm.

- Well, strange you say this. An hour ago one _friend_ was looking for the same thing. You his bitch or something? – The guy grinned and I felt on the edge of losing my temper and that something inside of me was struggling to get out.

- I suggest you change your manners, punk. – I clenched my fists and gnarled at the guy before me. His facial expression suddenly changed into a mocking phiz, as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at me.

- Look, missy, I don't think you understand you are in no position to give orders here, got it? Now get the fuck out before I blow you head off. And give Mercurio my regards.

My eyes widened out of anger at him and I began to approach him with the need to bash his skull in. He probably understood that, since he fired at me and got me in the left shoulder. The pain was nothing that I had felt before and I screamed in agony. That was enough. I felt losing control over my body and everything around me became a living target. I could see my hands tear apart the two men in front of me, and even tough I couldn't control it, I fully enjoyed it. Another three people barged in and started to hit me with bats and knives. My body targeted at one and jumped at him, knocking him down on the ground and tearing at his neck with my fangs. I stopped as soon as I felt a rib crack and turned to face two bats swinging at my face. They both hit me and I heard my voice howl in pain. I rolled on the floor, avoiding two other hits, and then jumped again and ran towards both of the men. Pinning them on the floor, I gripped tightly on their necks. I dived into one of the guys' artery, while the other choked under the pressure of my hand. By the time I gained control over my body again, everyone was dead.


	3. Sister, sister

I didn't hang around much after that. Just went trough their wallets, armed myself with a bat and a gun, then grabbed the Astrolite and got the hell out of there. I was mildly shocked with what had happened a while ago, but at least it was over. Or at least I thought so.

- Did ya waste 'em? – Mercurio asked, a second after I closed the door.

- Yeah… - I mumbled, not sure what to make of the situation.

- Good, great, hope it was painful. – He leaned back again, comforting his head on the sofa. – And my money?

- Uh, yeah, sure. – I took out 200dollars from my pocket and handed them to him. – That's all I found. – I lied, saving myself 600 dollars.

- Oh, well, there were more, but those assholes probably spent them on drugs. – Even if he was on to me, right then he was too dependant on me to try and expose my little fraud.

- So, uh, now what should I do? – I asked a bit stiffly, not sure I wanted to know.

Turned out I had to blow up some Camarilla warehouse with that Astrolite and then report back to the Sabbat downtown. Apparently only one guy knew how to guide me there, and, of course, he was hiding out right now because of some feud with a local Sabbat.

- Soo, what's this entire "feud" about? – I asked, wondering why things couldn't go to plan at least once.

- How should I know… - Mercurio wasn't very eager to help, like I didn't just do his dirty work for him. – I only heard rumors that Therese wants to rise as a bishop after the Sabbat takes over LA and she sees Bertram as a threat.

- What do you mean takes over LA? – I blinked in confusion.

- You're pretty green, aren't you? – With a bit of mock mixed with pity, his voice escaped his mouth. – The Sabbat are currently trying to take over LA from the Camarilla and banish all its members. Why else do you think are you going to blow up some warehouse in the middle of nowhere?

- Well, actually, I thought we shared cities and just disliked each other, because they will bring the end of the world and all… - I explained my theory and Mercurio raised a brow.

- Things are not that simple. They hate us and we hate them. I don't know much Sabbat lore, but I have been around for a while and have always been active in their wars with the Camarilla. If you want a piece of advice, keep a low profile. Santa Monica is a Sabbat territory for now, but LA is still controlled by a Prince and it's dangerous for a new vampire like you to walk around. – Suddenly he got all serious, and it struck me again how unstable the people I met were actually. I couldn't help myself from wondering would I become like them in a few years.

Mercurio turned out to be not a total ass and informed me about some abandoned apartment near by, and also aided me to the club which Therese owned. He explained she was more of a silent partner there, and used her sister Jeanette as representative of the club, but she called the shots and all. At least that's how she liked to think, he also added.

The Asylum had a very offsetting atmosphere, at least for me. It had a little bar in the corner across the entrance and other than that was just a large empty dance-floor. Tonight was pretty crowded, maybe because some band was performing live. While the loud music mixed with excited screams, I suddenly felt a cold hand take a grip around my shoulder and shove me into the nearest corner. A female face met mine, it's blue and green eyes examining my whole body and taking delight in my shocked expression.

- Well, well, now what will a little young plaything do in the vulture's parlor, I must wonder… - She purred in amusement, while her eyes were still running around my face. - Don't be scared, duckling, I don't bite… unless you let me to. – A delighted smirk riddled on her face and for a second she bared her fangs to make a point.

- I take it you are… - I couldn't tell was I annoyed, flattered, scared, or all three at once.

- Jeanette… - She laced with her tongue. – This club is as mine as much as your attention towards me. I find it delicious. – Her tongue slowly ran across her red lipstick.

- Yeah, uh, look, Jeanette, I want to meet your sister, is she… - I made a brief attempt to change the subject, but was quickly cut off be her.

- Oh, and I was just beginning to think we were getting along. – She pouted and backed away. – Fine, follow me, kitten.

Jeanette was gracefully sliding trough the crowd, while I had a little tough time trying to keep up with her. Eventually she led us to a small elevator and as soon as I went in after her, she pushed some button and the doors closed. I was alone with her and felt a little nervous.

I took a better look at her in the light. She was attractive, in a fairly disturbing way, wearing school uniform-like clothing, which would best fit in a porn movie or some magazine like Playboy. Her blonde pig tails were dangling along with her head, while she was singing to herself some unknown to me song. But even with all the bared flesh and seductive clothing, there was still something childish to her, that I couldn't exactly figure out.

She didn't say a thing trough the whole trip, and when we finally arrived at the required floor, she looked at me with a furious grimace on her face. I stepped back, not expecting such a reaction.

- Don't you dare… - She whispered in an eerie tone. – Don't you dare swallow her lies and leave my tenderness. If you do, I shall make you fight your own words in a world without sense. – She went quiet for a while, her face looking at the ground. I stood in one place, not sure what to do. – Wait here kitten, I just need to talk to her about something and we'll get to you after that. – She smirked at me again and went to the only door in the small corridor we were in.

I was left alone, and felt a little relieved in a way. The happenings for the night were more than enough and I was yet to meet Therese. I could hear them yelling at each other from inside, but decided to just ignore it. What had caught my attention was a mirror, exactly opposite to the elevator. I glanced at it and realized I couldn't find myself there. Damn. Not only was I curious how I looked after all those things I had been trough, but I already missed my image. The realization that I was not to see my crimson red dyed hair, swirling around my face in delicate waves, ever again, made a sorrowful taste climb up my throat. When human, I never gave much thought about my appearance, yet knowing I was never to meet my own eyes now, sent a sense of bitterness.

After a few minuets waiting in silence, my patience ran out and I let myself to knock on the door.

- Come in. – A cold voice emerged trough the walls and encouraged me to step in.

It was the strangest office I have ever seen. Well, maybe the only one I have seen in real life, but at least in the movies they were much more… formal. It had red walls and reddish wooden floor, with a large carpet in the center. A giant picture was hanging on the right wall, giving the atmosphere an eerie feeling. A black figure of a man in a suit was standing behind two little girls, with white dresses and blonde hairs. The man remained a mystery for me, but I recognized Jeanette in one of the girls, and the other was probably Therese. It was a beautiful, yet disturbing picture.

Other than that, the office had two desks, and a large heart-shaped bed that reminded me that I would most probably have to sleep in some corner again this night.

- Good evening. – Therese greeted, her hands crossed on her chest, expressing no hospitality at all. She was Jeanette's copy, but instead of the lavish exposure of skin, she had only a plain, grey business suit on her. – Please excuse my sister's tactlessness, but unfortunately she has the self control of a wild chimpanzee. That is if she has self control at all… - She muttered the last sentence, but I could still hear it.

- I presume you are Therese? – I disregarded the question about Jeanette, since it would most probably have made us both uncomfortable.

- Yes, Therese Voerman. I'm the owner of this club and the only person you should worry about pleasing in this city. – Her tone didn't change a bit, but her eyes expressed much more intimidation than her words ever could. – With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?

- Cosette… - I mumbled. – Cosette Evans. – A slight chuckle escaped her lips.

- Are you French? – She asked with an amused smile on her face.

Truth be told, I had no idea what to answer her. I never knew my parents and therefore, never knew my true nationality, name or even birth date. The old woman I grew up with gave me this name, because she was largely fascinated with the book _Les Misérables__, _by Victor Hugo. I found it way too sophisticated for today, but apart from that, I liked it. It sounded nice.

- N-no, I don't think so… - I bit my lip as a quizzical look appeared on Therese's face.

- Cosette means something little. Something with no importance. Did you know that? – A mocking smirk made its way on her face. – Well then, what brings you to Santa Monica?

- I need you to stop the feud with Bertram… - The moment I said that, her image again took turn and a flustered grimace appeared on her face.

- Why should I do that? Let him think I mean to kill him. He's been trying to destroy me for years! He ruins my business, image, reputation and my sister. If you were in my place, would you let him continue his ways until one day he gets you unprepared? You most certainly would not! – She seemed too headstrong to convince otherwise.

- Look, I'm on a mission for the Sabbat and if I want it finished, I better find Thung. Isn't there anything that can make you change your mind?

- Huh… - She went quiet for a while, thinking about something. – Hmm, let's say I'm willing to peace with him if you help me with something…. Something involving ghosts.

- Ghosts? – I wondered have I heard correctly.

- Yes, ghosts exist, just like we do. – She rolled her eyes in annoyance. - I'm interested in a certain old hotel and I want it rebuilt. However, it seems that the place is haunted by some ghost that refuses to leave. Not only that, it scares away every constructor I send. The property is useless for me with it inside. So, I need a personal item from the ghost so I can drive it away. And if you get it for me, the feud will be off.

- Look, Ms. Voerman, I'm not here to run errands for you… - Her arrogance and stubbornness tickled me.

- Oh, but you will do it if you want the feud off. Thung is not going out until then, so if you want to make it troughs the night, I kindly suggest that you listen to me, understand? – She threw me a death glare and crossed her arms.

- I said…Make – Peace – With - Thung. – I decided to use my mind control and failed miserably. Therese just got angrier.

- Did you just try to Dominate me? – She hissed indignantly. – If the situation wasn't so desperate, I would have been showing your ashes to the door by now. But I'll overlook it, this time. – Her poisonous glare stabbed into me. – Now take this key. The only way in this time of the night is trough the sewers. I hope you recognize how serious I am about this, and therefore take a serious approach about it. – She shoved some key into my arms and made a gesture inviting me to leave. – Good evening.

***

I cursed at Therese, myself and basically the whole world on my way to the apartment. Why couldn't things be easy, just for once? And why was everything so much easier in vampire flicks? They didn't have to fight with some thugs or blow up warehouses in order to join a group that is at war with the whole world. What happened with the erotica, the castles and with the turning to bat shit?

The apartment looked like nobody had inhabited it for a while. It just had a bed and some empty shelves and counters. Dust and spider webs everywhere. Not only that, but the windows were huge. I didn't know how I was supposed to stop the sun light from coming in.

Checking the bathroom, I realized that that was the place that I was going to sleep in. I took some random blanket I found lying around and put it under the door. Curling up in the shower cabin, I closed my eyes let all my thoughts drift out, until I fell into a yearned comatose.


	4. Headstrong

I jumped left as the elevator landed with a loud crash on the place where I was a second ago. My feet wiggled in an unpleasant manner and I fell on my behind. I sighed, trying to gain courage to continue. I had already had enough – random objects thrown at me, creepy voices talking, ghostly figures aiding me. And just now an elevator tried to squish me like a bug. Note to self: Never reside in this hotel.

I opened the diary which I found in the kitchen. It was old and worn out, its history written on the covers. Jumping trough pages, I only read random words and sentences until figuring out what had happened. Apparently the woman's husband went mad from jealousy and killed her. How classy. All this would make a great horror movie, I thought to myself.

I put the diary on the ground, seeing how it would most probably just slow me down, and started climbing the stairs next to me. Reaching the end, I finally spotted an open door and jumped towards it. I was pretty lucky tonight, so I managed to gracefully land and found myself in another freaky corridor. What followed was nothing I didn't expect: the same ghost running ahead of me, more vases thrown at me, an exploding door and, of course, a hole in the ceiling, to which I climbed. There, some weird purple fire-like smokes began to form trough the walls and I started running in fear. As I was speeding trough the next hallway, a loud sound emerged from the walls and I realized a pipe next to me broke and released steaming air towards me. I made a desperate attempt to jump, but was not fast enough and it burned my left leg. Falling on the ground, I squirmed in pain and despair as another pipe broke, this time above me. It didn't hit me, so I gathered enough strength to slip under it.

I managed to avoid two other pipes and finally reached a door, not sure if I could take anymore of this. Inside I witnessed a ruinous room, even its roof missing. In the distance, I could see the Pacific and noticed a big ship floating not too far away. The atmosphere was calm. Maybe beautiful. If my leg didn't hurt so much, maybe I would have found it even peaceful.

The second I stepped inside, a bright light blinded me and I was forced to close my eyes. I kept them shut for a few seconds, fearing what might had happened, but eventually curiosity got the best of me. When I opened them, I was standing in a big, beautiful room, not the dilapidated and old one, in which I was a moment ago. I immediately noticed the bright lights coming from the windows, and gasped as the thought that I had caught the sunrise struck me. To my surprise, nothing did happen to my body even when fully exposed to the sunlight. Something wasn't right in all this.

I walked around the room and stumbled upon a strange pendant. It was riddled with black and red diamonds, just begging to be touched. I grabbed it and pulled it up to examine it more closely. A second after I did that, I witnessed a scene that was pulled out of _The Shining_ – a man hitting on a door with an axe, screaming something about love and eternity. The door finally fell down and a desperate female scream emerged trough the walls, as the man walked in the room. I saw how he swung with the axe and all that followed was silence and a child's cryings from the distance. After that, I was again in the same old and ruinous room as before, but with the pendant in my hand.

The sudden feeling of grief struck me, as I realized the horror and tragic that this hotel had seen. A single tear poured trough my eye, but I was quick at erasing it with my sleeve. I quietly made my way out of the hotel, making sure I take the diary which I left behind, before I leave. I had no intentions of coming back ever again.

In The Asylum, unfortunately for me, Jeanette was waiting in the office, wearing her kinky school girl outfit. She was sitting on her laptop when I came in, but the moment she heard me close the door, she jumped in surprise. A startled look was soon replaced by a seducing smirk, as she leaned to her desk.

- Hello, sunshine… back to burn me? – Her malicious smile sent a shiver down my spine.

I recalled Therese saying that Jeanette had a good relationship with Thung. Pondering over it, I decided to try and make Jeanette contact him, since she looked friendlier than Therese. Way friendlier. So I gave her back the grin.

- I am so happy I stumbled across you, Jeanette… - She raised a brow while I was talking. – Our last meeting was so short and I couldn't get you out of my head after its ending.

- Oh, reaaally? – Her two different eyes both stared at my neck, which I found unsettling. – Then that makes two of us, kitten. Our meeting did leave so many fantasies burn inside my head. Maybe we can bring them to life, huum? – She slowly began to approach me.

- Oh, uh, what kind of fantasies… - I asked, all my confidence lost.

- Why don't you come closer, so I can whisper them in you ear, kitten? – I didn't know why I found her staring at my neck so unnerving, but by doing it, she made me want to run out of the office and never come back again.

- Uh… look, I brought this for you sister. – I quickly changed the subject, grabbing the pendant from my pocket.

- Oh my, how shiny… - She giggled like a child. – Yes, Therese told me you might by back with something for her… Why don't you give it to me, I'll make sure she gets it. – She winked at me. Something inside hinted me not to trust her on this.

- Sorry, Jeanette, I can't give it to anyone but you sister. – I tried to sound more confident than ever. A dramatic pout appeared on her face and she looked like she was about to cry.

- You too? – Jeanette cried out. – And a second ago you were spelling me your love. But no, she's always ahead of me right? Her you can trust, while I am just a toy for your amusement. – She gaggled on her crying, while I was staring in shock. – I thought you can bring difference, you can outshine the brightness of her lies, but here you are, another brick in the wall.

- What the f… - I tried to stop her, but she cut me off.

- Do you even know what is like having her as you sister? Always being second best? Always staying in the shadows on your own, while she is enjoying the lights of the red carpet out there? – Tears filled with black mascara began to rub down her cheeks. - All I want is for someone to acknowledge me. To recognize me as an individual… And yet, why does it always come to this? Why can't anyone close their eyes enough so they can see me in my true light? Why does everyone believe her pathetic lies about me? About how worthless and evil I am! I ask you here and now, why? – She screamed, making me want to cover my ears.

- Would you stop? I went trough hell to get this and I'm not giving it to anyone but Therese, got it? – I yelled back, annoyed from her whining. Her pout suddenly disappeared and a delighted smirk again painted her face.

- If you're going trough hell, keep going. – She pressed out her words. - Winston Churchill said it, duckling. I recommend you remember it if you wish to survive those harsh nights. – We stood silent for a while until she broke the ice again. – Fine. Keep it. But how about you consider doing something for little troubled me?

- And what might that be? – I sighed, already annoyed from everyone bossing me around.

- There's this gallery down the street, it's called Noir. Tomorrow night there will be some charity event where they will stare at pretty pictures all night long. Problem is that the whole event has been set up by a vampire who is trying to establish their own power clique in our city, and we can't let that happen now, can we? He is been a threat to me an Therese for far too long and I'm sure that he will get the message if some brilliant up start like you goes there and ruins the paintings. – Jeanette spoke like a spoiled child, vexing me to the core.

- Forget it. Our deal with Therese was for me to get this pendant and give it to her. No picture slashing or anything like that. – I hissed indignantly at Jeanette as she knit her brows.

- I don't think you understand, Lick. Until Bertram hears it from me, he will never believe the feud is off and thus your chances of finding him will become lower than the chances of you surviving Gehenna alone. So you can either be an obedient dog and run when I say fetch, or run back to the Sabbat with your head in your hands. – She drastically changed her tone, but I had had enough disrespect already.

- You listen! – I yelled frustrated, pointing my forefinger at her. – I don't know what games you are playing here, you crazy slut, but I'm not getting involved. My business is with Therese and Therese only, and I'd rather die a horrible death than let myself be pushed around by something as weak-minded and pathetic as you!

- Take that back, you bitch! – Jeanette sped towards me, stopping a few inches from my face.

- I think I'm gonna take my chances. – I glared into her raging eyes for a while after which I turned and left the office and the club.

***

I woke up around 8pm the other night. It was raining again, the same large drops as when I arrived a few nights ago. They were pretty promising at making me all muddy and wet, but it didn't bother me. I had traveled trough the sewers last night and nothing could beat that, even a cold, dirty rain.

I looked down at my clothes – they had dried from last night, but had also achieved a particular smell, which I didn't find very pleasing. Not only that, my stilettos were about to fall apart, as their delicate straps were beginning to tear. At the end of the night, I would most probably be forced to walk shoeless.

I grabbed my gun and money and headed out. While going down the stairs, I felt the sudden hunger rise up in me again. I had to feed. I didn't want that thing to take control over me again, no matter what it was. My feet sped down the stairs, turning into a full run, until I reached the main door and bashed it open. Outside, my eyes began to search for a suitable victim, but apparently the rain had kept the habitants from going out. I walked slowly in the alleyway, desperately hoping to stumble upon someone. After a minuet of wandering around, I broke into a run again, heading for the nearest street. My eyes again met not a living soul and I headed for the parking, hoping someone would be there.

Fortunately, I spotted a young woman, leaning against the entrance of the parking and smoking a cigarette. She was modestly dressed, wearing only a mini-skirt, a leather jacket and some high boots. I immediately recognized her as a prostitute. Still, she was probably my only option.

- Hey, beautiful, looking for some fun? – She asked as I approached her.

- How much? – I asked, hoping it won't be too expensive.

- Well, I don't get to do women often, so how about I let you a go with 50? – She dropped her cigarette on the ground and treaded on it.

- Great, here you go. – I took out 50 dollars from my pocket. – Lets go somewhere more secluded.

I led her to the stairs which led to the beach, while barely containing myself from attacking her. I could feel it again rising in me and cursed at myself for not feeding last night, instead of fighting with Jeanette. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and jumped at her, pinning her to the ground and biting harshly on her neck. She kept silent, gasping from surprise when I jumped her, but falling in a trance while I was feeding of her. I stopped myself when I realized I was drinking from a drained artery. I had killed her.

She came out even more useful when dead. I took her boots, jacket and my 50 bucks, along with another 100. Maybe it was cold hearted, but I needed them more than her. I grabbed my stilettos and hoodie and headed for The Asylum.

On my way there, I gave the clothes to some random bum, who was too drunk to care. I felt better without the smelly hoodie and the boots made it easier for me to move. If I had only stopped myself from entering The Asylum…

- What were you thinking? – A raged Therese shouted at me the moment I went in.

- Wha… - I blinked in confusion, while scared to fully walk in the office.

- The museum! It was my event! Did you think I wouldn't find out? – She tightened her fists and gritted her teeth. – It's ruined! Everything! Slashed! How could you believe that face painting harlot? Are you that stupid?!

- I didn't do anything! – I felt helpless against Therese's wrath.

- Don't lie to me! – She yelled again. – Jeanette already confessed she tricked you into doing it. I thought Thung's disappearance would lighten things up, but nothing's changed! – Her fist hit the wooden desk. – She's still the same seducing, scheming and backstabbing sister from before. I see now, my mistake…

- No, Therese, listen, she tried to make me to do it, but I refused. I swear! Here, I even brought you the pendant! – I pulled out the item from my pocket and her expression calmed up a bit.

- Hum… Jeanette told me you did it. But lets say I believe you. You have acted more decently than the most goons I have to business with these nights. You still want me to call off the feud, I believe? – I nodded my head, relieved that she believed me. – There's this little problem. I was furious at my sister for her ruining my event and overstepped some bounds by lighting her satin sheets on fire. She is now hiding and until Thung hears it from her, he won't be coming out. I managed to get her to meet me at the local diner tonight, but an unexpected business has come out and I will be unable to speak with her tonight. If you are willing to go in my place and convince her to forgive me, I would be more than willing to call off the feud.

I wondered why couldn't she just kill Jeanette, but didn't say a thing and just nodded my head again. I just couldn't wait for this to be over.

- After you do this, our business will be finished. – Therese gestured me to leave and I headed towards the elevator.


	5. Dyings in Diner

**Note:** Sorry it's so short, but it's been staying on my computer for months and I decided to submit it just to let you know that this fanfic is not dead. I'll be continuing it, but I'll get a bit more motivated if I get a few reviews. So, if you are reading this and like it(or don't) just leave a one-liner saying you are following it. I'll be very greatful.

**Note2:** Oh, and sorry for the stupid title, it's just past 2a.m. here and my head hurts like hell.

* * *

I should have expected for things to fuck up. After all, everything was going too smoothly and it was damn time for Murphy's laws to take effect and let everything go wrong. As I walked into the diner, unusual scenery was revealed: there were almost no people, except for the usual cashier, a cook and four or five mean looking men, just standing there. Jeanette was nowhere around. I approached the cashier, who seemed a little bit off.

- Excuse me, have you seen any blonde girl come in here? Maybe wearing a school suit? – I asked politely, ignoring her past behavior.

- N-no… - Her voice shook in a nervous manner. – I mean yes, no, no, I mean no. – She was biting on her lips and sweating while eyeing the men. I noticed they were staring at us and began to feel a bit uneasy.

I left the old woman to her doings and sat on one of the tables. I scooted next to the window and laid my head on it. The rain kept pouring on the empty streets, little drops hitting the glass and sliding down. How depressing.

- Hey, darling, waiting for someone? – I felt how the seat pressured next to me from a certain weight. I turned and saw one of the men sitting next to me, while two of them sat on the seat across me and the other two surrounded the table.

- I don't think that concerns you. – I growled, trying to hide the rising panic, while reaching for my knife.

- Don't be a nuisance, bird, this will be over soon. – One of the men across me was maliciously smiling as the others began to pull out their guns.

A sharp pain hit my stomach and made my eyes goggle in shock and discomfort. I looked down at the source of the pain and saw a wide knife being stabbed into my belly. The man next to me was wearing a complacent smile, while his hand dug the knife deeper and deeper. I felt blood spilling down my stomach and thighs and an ultimate powerlessness. The pain was tremendous and options of what to do began rushing trough my head.

I leaned to the man, resting my head on his shoulder and immediately I heard a few people bursting into a laugh. Muffled voice reached my ears, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I didn't waste any time and dug my teeth into the guy's neck, while pulling out the knife from his paralyzed arms. His friends probably didn't notice, since there was no reaction in any way.

I finished off the last drop of blood and my wound was finally closed. I still kept my head down, while balancing his now-dead body with my arms. The men kept on talking, ignoring his sudden silence.

Finally I gathered enough strength to push away the corpse and stab the guy across me in the throat. He gaggled on his blood as I twirled the knife, while feeling goose bumps all over my body. Immediately a few shots hit me in the torso, but I gritted my teeth, pulled out the knife and bend on the table. I jumped one of the guys across the table, pinning him to the ground and biting on his neck. As I was draining him, a few shots hit my back, but the wounds recovered as quickly as the guy's blood entered my throat. I heard them shouting about something and felt a few back away, though still shooting me. I raised my head when the guy's blood supply ended, and stabbed my knife into the nearest man's leg. He squirmed in pain and instinctively reached for the knife, dropping his gun. I took the chance and grabbed it, firing it at the guy, killing him on sight.

Two men were still standing, one of them shooting, while the other was reloading in panic. I hid behind the counter and chairs and tried to get at least one of them, but I was no shooter. One of the bullets finally hit the shooting guy's shoulder and he dropped his gun. My amo was out and there was still one shooting at me. I walked to the corpses in front of me, while staying bend and trying to avoid bullets, and grabbed the knife from one of the guys' leg. I jumped up and targeted at the two men, while biting on my lips in an attempt to stop from screaming in pain when a few bullets managed to get me. I swung the knife in front of them, slashing the wounded one's throat and the other's chest. Blood spilled, reaching my face and I found myself instinctively licking my lips. The one cut on the throat dropped dead, while the other was screaming in pain, holding the wound on his chest. I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him next to me, biting on his neck and draining him.

I looked at my watch: 10:03 am. This all happened in 7 minuets.

I looked around: no one was left alive. The cashier and cook were lying in puddles of blood, probably shot by accident. I still couldn't realize what had happened so I stood straight, not moving, nearly paralyzed. Finally the shock came in and my legs weakened. I fell on the floor, blinking and shaking like a madman.

The phone's ringing would probably have gotten me a heart attack, if I wasn't already dead. I pulled myself up rather lubberly and dragged my legs to the phone. I hesitated for a while, wondering who could call in a Diner, but picked up.

- Y-Yeah? – My voice shook.

- I'm so sorry about that. – A familiar female voice came from the other line. – My sister wasn't very pleased with your refusal to take part in her schemes, so she sent those men to kill you. I hope there is no real damaged done. Please stop by the club and we'll make sure she never double-crosses me, you, or anyone else of that matter, again.

The other line went dead and I let go of the receiver, letting it swing freely in the air.


End file.
